Humana, Amgen dive for insights

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Health care giants Humana and Amgen are working together to combine data from wearable technology, digital apps and Bluetooth-enabled drug delivery devices with the real world experiences of its members to unlock new insights into their care.

Six collaborative projects are either already underway or in the planning stages, and more will be developed, targeting Humana members with cardiovascular disease, neurologic disorders, inflammatory diseases and cancer.

“Humana is focused on the holistic health of our members and by teaming up with Amgen we can study new ways to improve their health outcomes,” said Laura Happe, chief pharmacy officer for Humana. “At the same time, we hope this research results in new tools and technologies that support our provider partners who are on the journey to population health and value-based care.”

Researchers will identify patients whose serious medical conditions are likely to result in an adverse patient outcome, then look at developing algorithms that predict risk and lead to early interventions, said Happe.

The projects will also dive into other areas like understanding the impact of wearable technology on medication adherence for inflammatory diseases.

“The rising cost of disease is challenging the sustainability of our health care system in the U.S. and is motivating innovators to urgently develop new therapeutic options,” said Dr. Joshua Ofman, senior vice president of global value, access and policy at Amgen.

The products those innovators are developing are changing the health care system and companies like Humana and Amgen need to understand how to gain insights from them to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

“We need to develop new technologies, but also look at what technologies are available now and how we can use them to help our patients,” Happe said.